Sunday, July 6, 2014

Its crystal clear at this juncture that I have failed in my goal of writing every day, and I've made a grudging peace with that. Too much of what I posted this year were shares of internet minutiae that caught my interest, but hardly kept me writing as was the goal, so in truth, I fell short some time ago. It is what it is.

The posts I wrote encompassing my time in my hometown were largely emotional and since, I've admittedly struggled with writing. Is this writer's block, mental exhaustion or have I been bit by a summertime bug that has drained all cognitive thought from my sad little brain? Work has been tough since my return and my mind has felt drained and unfocused. It's been a satisfying summer, though, with much to be grateful for...

Clambake on the Grill - The photo at top is of a clambake-on-the-grill recipe we gleaned from Chef Michael Symon on The Chew. It looked delectable and indeed it was despite some nervousness over the first attempt. As we were also making this for our beloved former BN coworkers, this just wasn't any crowd to cook for either. I loved how it turned out, with the clam juice infiltrating the summer corn and andouille sausage and making for one heady brew of deliciousness.

It was a later-then-typical kickoff for our deck, but such is this ever-busier life. Jane brought her cherished deviled eggs, Linda a perfect peach-cream pie for dessert and we brought the Posse's feta dip to introduce to a new crew. Peaches were a recurring theme as Ronnie's peach cocktail kicked us off in wicked fashion. We relished all of it, especially the increasingly-rare company.

Linda and I made our first trip to City Market the following morning, where I sipped on chicory coffee and nibbled on a savory Bourgeois Pig (with cheddar,caramelized onions and hickory and applewood bacon) from Beignet while further indulging in the always intriguing people-watching. I further caffeinated with a tasty iced Sister Hazelnut latte from Opera House KC before roaming the myriad market stalls. Astoundingly, I only went home with a loaf of multi-grain bread from Bloom Bakery.

Water Babies United - The watery kickoff for the summer was the blessedly familiar setting of the lake with the family. Aromas of Lime-A-Rita chicken on the grill, BLTs with fresh garden lettuce and tomatoes with crispy bacon and avocado slices, swimming with the kids and jet-skiing with Keith and watching Tanner learn to ski were among the highlights. We finished off the weekend with a four-mile-run on the Katy Trail in Sedalia and this finished off a sun-drenched weekend.

The truly significant aspect to this Summer season has been the ongoing running journey we have been on. I will write more about the journey itself in the next post, but this whole-wheat pasta with a teriyaki cream sauce, as well as Flaming Cheese Saganaki (Greek Kefalotiri Cheese set aflame by brandy) and a Greek salad at A&G Restaurant made for a nifty night-before meal when we ran our first 10k in Maryville.....